Boy finds spirit of giving in annual toy drive
CARTER COLBY plays with his favorite hot rod toy at his house near Lake Blaine. Colby collected about 200 toys for Toys for Tots during a car show this year. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)
Six-year-old Carter Colby collected a record 262 toys this year for Christmas, but the toys aren’t for him.
“It’s toys to give back to other kids who don’t have toys,” Carter said.
For the past five years Carter has collected toys to donate to Toys for Tots with the help of his parents, Tina and Mark of Kalispell,.
“We wanted to teach him that it’s important to give back to your community and that not everyone is as fortunate as he is,” Tina said.
In that first year of collecting toys five years ago, Carter was not yet 2, but his parents wanted to start early in teaching their son the joy of giving.
“We wanted to instill in him at a young age that giving back was very important and we thought, really, the only thing that someone not even 2 years old would understand was toys. That’s how we ended up starting the toy donation,” Tina said.
Raised in a family of hot rod enthusiasts who belong to the Glacier Street Rod Association, Carter initially collected car toys “to get other kids interested in cars,” Mark said.
“Over time there is still the strong theme with cars, but we bring in a little bit of everything,” he added.
Every year Carter hands out invitations at car shows to a party where the toys are collected at his house.
“He goes up to people and personally invites everyone to come to his party and talks to them about raising toys for kids who don’t have toys,” Tina said. “We walk many miles around car shows.”
For the past two years in September, the Glacier Street Rod Association has made the Colby’s house the last stop during their fall car cruise.
“They made us the last stop and everyone brings a toy,” Mark said. “They’re supporting it like crazy, bringing in big bags of toys.”
Tina said the association’s support has really grown the toy drive in a big way bringing in up to 200 people.
“This year DeSoto Grill donated all the food for us,” Tina said, almost with a sigh of relief because in prior years it was the Colbys doing all the cooking. “We have a friend that helps us with parking, Rob Fisher. People are so generous.”
Mark added, “We have 60 to 100 cars out here at a time. You have to be very strategic.”
The annual party always has a theme that Carter picks out from a pinewood derby, antique airplanes, to this year’s theme of famous cars from movies.
“It’s a fun day,” Tina said. “It’s the last event of the hot rod season.”
On the big day, Carter busies himself collecting the toys, thanking guests and organizing the toys to store them until December. There are toys as small as Hot Wheels to remote controlled cars and toys geared to both boys and girls.
“It’s cool to see each year how it’s grown,” Tina said.
Recently, the Colbys dropped off the toys at Able Body Shop during The Bear radio station’s Toys for Tots collection drive and competition between local stations and businesses.
“Carter’s their secret weapon,” Tina said with a smile.
Carter also gets to be on the radio to talk about his party and why he collects the car toys for Toys for Tots. Carter gets to do a shoutout to his classmates at Cayuse Prairie School and to the hot rod club.
“We tell a group of guys who meet at Nickel Charlie’s every morning [in Evergreen] so they can sit at their table listening to him,” Tina said.
CARTER’S LOVE of cars started before he could walk. As a toddler he got around town in a hot-rod stroller. As he got older he got to ride in his favorite car, or as he refers to it, “dad’s T,” a loud 1926 Ford T Roadster with wide, oversized wheels.
“Cars become a family hobby. We travel together to different locations and see different people,” Mark said.
Out in the garage, Carter gets to show off “dad’s T.” Each car holds fond memories from different points in their lives. There are the cars Mark and Tina drove in high school. And Tina points out a raspberry and white 1955 Plymouth, “Mark got me when I found out I was pregnant to haul the baby,” Tina said.
Mark and Tina have already prepared for Carter getting older, when he gets involved in more activities and makes more friends. They have acquired the vehicle body of a 1935 Sedan Delivery, because when you’re a hot rod enthusiast you can’t tote kids around in a minivan.
Carter loves being out in the shop helping his dad, “buildin’ cars and workin’ on cars,” just like Mark did with his father.
“He’s one of our cleaners,” Tina said. “He likes to shine the cars and he’s a professional tire cleaner.”
“I even clean inside the tread,” Carter said. “They work good. They just get toasted.”
And although next September is a ways off, Carter already has a goal set for next year’s Toys for Tots toy collection.
“Beat last year,” Carter said giving two thumbs up.
Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.